Gabby Thomas, an American, dominated the women’s Olympic 200m in Paris on Tuesday, capturing her first major gold medal.
Thomas won in 21.83 seconds, defeating St. Lucia’s new 100-meter champion Julien Alfred, who ran 22.08 seconds. Brittany Brown, Thomas’ teammate, won bronze in 22.20 seconds.
Thomas, 27, is the first American woman to win an Olympic short sprint gold since childhood idol Allyson Felix won the 200m at the London Games in 2012. She previously earned a bronze medal in Tokyo three years ago.
Favour Ofili of Nigeria finished sixth in the race after qualifying for the final despite being disqualified from the 100m owing to administrative issues.
Alfred of St. Lucia aimed to achieve an Olympic sprint double following her remarkable triumph in the 100 meters on Saturday.
But Thomas, this year’s fastest woman over this distance, was not about to miss her destiny.
The Harvard-educated sprinter stormed out of the blocks and ran a great curve to take a comfortable lead into the home straight.
The American’s strength and finishing force never wavered as she sprinted across the finish line to claim a well-deserved gold medal.
